MLB.com's Carrie Muskat has been covering Major League Baseball since 1981 and is the author of "Banks to Sandberg to Grace: Five Decades of Love and Frustration with the Cubs." You can follow her on Twitter @CarrieMuskat. Here, she blogs about the Cubs.

6/29 Cubs lineup

Bryan LaHair is in right field and Steve Clevenger catching on Friday as the Cubs open a three-game series against the Astros. This is the Cubs last home series before the All-Star break. Paul Maholm makes the start. He’s looking for his first win in eight starts. The lefty is 11-6 with a 3.31 ERA in 20 starts against Houston. The Astros may be a little jet lagged. They had a late game at home Thursday against the Padres. Here’s the lineup:

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